China’s Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry has recently completed the second LNG-ready very large ore carrier for Taiwan’s U-Ming Marine Transport.
The yard held a virtual christening ceremony for the 325,000 dwt Grand Wisdom on December 14 that included officials from U-Ming’s Taipei office but also its Singapore office.
U-Ming’s Singapore unit will manage the vessel.
Following the ceremony, the vessels departed Qingdao and was on Tuesday located in the Indian Ocean, its AIS data shows.
Moreover, this is the second LNG-ready VLOC that will operate under a 25-year contract U-Ming has with Brazil’s iron ore producer Vale. Both of the vessels will transport Brazilian iron ore to China.
The vessels feature MAN B&W main engine with LNG-ready design concept, allowing flexibility to transform the ships into LNG dual-fuel in the future, U-Ming says.
In addition, the ships also have a SOx scrubber, in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 global sulphur limit.
U-Ming is banking on LNG as fuel and besides these LNG-ready vessels, the firm recently ordered four dual-fuel capesize vessels at CSSC’s Shanghai Waigaoqiao.
Mining giant Anglo American will charter the LNG-powered quarter for a period of ten years, introducing chilled fuel into its chartered fleet for the first time.
These vessels will transport iron ore from Brazil and South Africa.
